More than 71 percent of Europeans want NATO to deploy a European-based missile defense shield to protect them from attack by weapons of mass destruction, according to a poll sponsored by the George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies and the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. “It is clear from the survey that the threat is real, urgent, and needs to be addressed,” states John Rose, director of the Marshall center in Germany. If you have a fairly robust computer equipped with PowerPoint, here is the color graphics version of the poll results. If not, try this standard, no frills version.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.